To Kingdom Come

When mount Saint Helens blew its top in 1980, the eruptioncaught the citizenry of the state of Washington off-guard. ThisSunday at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time there will be an implosion, ofthe Kingdome, that has been so eagerly anticipated byWashingtonians that they have been scrutinizing the proceedingsmore extensively than the feds did Bill Gates's E-mail. It's asif that state's fans, in trying to come to terms with the lossof Ken Griffey Jr. and his moon-shot homers have grown giddyover the prospect of one last blast.

--ESPN Classic Beginning at 11 a.m. Kent, Wash., native Kenny Mayne will hostClassic's first live event. Mayne, who will be joined by formerSuperSonics Jack Sikma and Slick Watts as well as formerSeahawks quarterback Dave Krieg, was in the Kingdome for a BillyGraham crusade in 1976, the year the dome opened. "I don't wantto see it [go], to be honest," says Mayne, one of the few peoplewho remember the dome fondly. "I'm hoping that some anarchistsare still in town from the WTO conference, and that they'llchain themselves to the building."

This could be the most-watched live sports-related implosionsince Al Campanis appeared on Nightline, and in the wired, weirdworld of the Pacific Northwest, TV isn't the only mediumcovering the event. Numerous Web sites devoted to the event havesprung up in recent weeks. Here are a few of our favorites:

--www.martinidesign.com The trivia page on this site asks which Seattle landmark wouldfit inside the dome (answer: the 605-foot-tall Space Needle).Better yet is the Imploder, which invites you to "blow your owndome." You can drop and drag five bundles of dynamite on adiagram of the dome and then press DETONATE. A 100% destructionelicits cheers louder than any heard by a Mariners pitcher lastseason.

Godlike in the eyes of heartened Red Sox fans, Pedro Martinez uses an astonishing mastery of four pitches and a ferocious will to win--not to mention that smile--to fuel Boston's fever for a World Series title

--www.susandennis.com This "former Microsoft employee" lives across the street fromthe ill-fated dome. Inspired by the Harvey Keitel character inthe 1995 film Smoke, she has taken a photo of the Kingdome everySunday at 9 a.m. for the past three years. Since January, Dennishas been posting another of her prints each day.

--www.windowsmedia.com/preview/kingdomeThis Microsoft-sponsored site offers 3-D glasses for the 3-Dimages of the destruction it will post. It will also have aWebcast of the implosion and has footage of other famousimplosions.

If you must witness the big bang in person, call the ProvidenceMount Saint Vincent Foundation (206-938-8994). From its11th-floor offices, you can enjoy a good view of thegoings-down--and a champagne brunch--for $250. Two smallconference rooms can each be had for $5,000. All proceeds go tocharity. The foundation's director, Susan Clark, isn't planningto serve afternoon tea. "People get a charge out of seeing bigstructures fall down," Clark says, "but once the dust settles,they'll be ready to leave."

"All high school sports," says Jonathan Segal, paraphrasingfellow Bay Stater Tip O'Neill, "are local. So when I created aWeb site devoted to prep athletics, I wanted to see it coverednationally but at a grassroots level." Last September, Segal, aformer high school sports beat writer for The New Haven (Conn.)Register, launched Schoolsports.com (www.schoolsports.com). Hisunpaid student correspondents cover their schools while a crewof staffers maintains the site and edits copy. Segal's empirehas grown to 1,000 schools in 20 metropolitan areas, and hisstaff, housed above a Boston muffler shop, has increased fromfive to 50. "The idea seemed like a no-brainer," says Segal, 31."Teenage jocks get a thrill from seeing their name in print, andretailers love teens."

The site has rosters, schedules, results and articles, and evenlists coaching vacancies. (Last week Riverwood High in Atlantawas seeking a varsity football coach, and Burlington [Mass.]High needed a cheerleading coach.) A page called "The Big Thumb"provides the only commentary: Recently it opposed a Marylandhigh school rule invoked to DQ a runner at the state meetbecause his plaid boxers were visible (solid colored underwearwould have been permissible).

The majority of the articles are too homer-ish. Segal concedesthat "we're trying to do positive stories," but that translatesinto dull reading. Memo to Segal's adolescent scribes: Justbecause you're unpaid doesn't mean you can't be unbiased.

--J.W.

WEBWORDS

"Does the NBA realize how many exhibitionists there are in thelocker rooms around the league? Is that what we want America,along with the rest of the world, tuning in for? I'm sorry, didI miss something? Did Hugh Hefner put in a bid to buy afranchise?"